Marriage of the Di Daughter

Chapter 65: Three Tests

Seeing that Jiang Li had come, Jiang Yuan Bai opened his mouth. Apparently not knowing what he should say, soon afterwards he coughed lightly and awkwardly.

Jiang Li stepped forward and said: "Second uncle, third uncle."

Jiang Yuan Ping was beaming and sized her up while saying:"Little Li has done well. Able to gain the top position in Ming Yi hall's examination is not an easy thing. I was just talking to your father to reward you well this time."

Jiang Li smiled and bowed: "Many thanks second uncle."

Jiang Yuan Ping looked at her with affection. It seemed that this second uncle was someone with a good temperament. Compared with Jiang Yuan Bai, he could still pretend. Looking at Jiang Yuan Xing's cowardly form, Jiang Yuan Ping had the best outlook. However, Jiang Li wouldn't really think that Jiang Yuan Ping was just a simple affectionate elder. This was a man with a big smile and evil intentions. Though he liked to smile, he was a tiger. Provoked his anger and he would soon show his tiger tail.

Jiang Yuan Xing stood at the very end. Looking at Jiang Li, he laughed somewhat cautiously. He said: "Congratulations Little Li."

As the Jiang family's concubine born son, despite being the third branch, he wasn't regarded as anything important. Especially when Jiang Yuan Bai and Jiang Yuan Ping's official careers shone brightly. Jiang Yuan Xing was even more forgotten in the corner.

It was rather incompatible with the Jiang's family's prosperity.

Seeing Jiang Yuan Xing praised Jiang Li with her own eyes, Yang-shi felt upset. In previous years' examinations, Jiang Yu'e achieved the best results in the three courseworks among the Jiang family's misses. Jiang You Yao was good at playing the guqin because Ji Shuran had invited a famous master to instruct her from a young age. Jiang Yu'e wasn't able to have such a good teacher. Calligraphy, mathematics, etiquette were truly based on their own ability.

The only opportunity to shine in the Jiang residence was grabbed by someone else. How could Yang-shi's heart not be irritated?

But her irritation was after all could not be compared with the irritation at the bottom of Ji Shuran's heart.

Jiang You Yao watched how the three masters in the Jiang residence, including her own father, looked and praised Jiang Li. Feeling both wronged and angry, she couldn't help blurting out: "Second sister, this time you came first, there would undoubtedly be many people who think that it's hard to believe."

The people in the room turned quiet. Jiang Li turned her head to look at Jiang You Yao and quietly said: "Oh?"

Sensing that everyone was looking at her, Jiang You Yao hesitated for a bit before looking worriedly at Jiang Li: "Second sister, you returned to Yanjing not long before you entered Ming Yi Hall to study. It has not even been 10 days since you attended Ming Yi Hall. Without practice and study but able to be the first....... It was really somewhat shocking." After speaking, without waiting for Jiang Li to reply, she actively persuaded: "I know second sister and the Meng family's miss's wager is extremely important, certainly second sister is unwilling to lose. But we are the Jiang family, father is also watching. Don't damage the foundation due to trivial matters. Although reputation is important, quality and strength of a character also cannot be abandoned."

In her heart, Jiang Li wanted to applaud Jiang You Yao.

Look at this speech, sounded so dignified, so righteous and awe-inspiring. But at the same time, they contained such malicious intentions. Directly suspecting that Jiang Li was cheating to gain the top position.

Jiang Jing Rui sneered: "Why should we bother with what is in other people's minds? If they can't accept it then don't accept it. Could it be possible to drag Ming Yi Hall's examiner out for a beating and let other people change the rankings? There's a sentence in the casino, 'If you agree to bet you must accept to lose'. Why? So only Meng Hong Jin can win while if Jiang Lin wins mean she cheated?"

These words were not face-saving enough for Jiang You Yao and her face flushed with embarrassment. Jiang Jing Rui is a thoughtless person, you cannot reason with him. Jiang You Yao hated Jiang Jing Rui in her heart.

Ji Shuran hurriedly said: "You Yao was also worried." While glancing at Jiang Yuan Bai.

The matter of Jiang Li getting the top position in Ming Yi Hall's examination spread very quickly throughout Yanjing. Naturally it would also be transmitted to Ming Hong Jin's ears. 

At this moment, Cheng Xuan envoy's residence was quiet. Inside the house, Meng Hong Jin was lying on her side while sobbing softly. Mother Meng embraced her with distress and said: "My child, don't cry anymore. This is just three tests, aren't there three more that are not yet tested? The situation is not yet at the end of the line."

"Shameful!" Meng You De, Meng Hong Jin's father, had a truly ugly complexion at this point. He said: "Making a wager with someone who has a card up her sleeve and now you've lost a crushing defeat. I lost face as your father! Really a useless thing!"

Hearing him, Meng Hong Jin felt so upset that she couldn't stop her cry even more.

Mother Meng saw her daughter crying so broken-heartedly and her grievance soared. She said at once: "How could you blame Hong Jin in this matter? Didn't that Jiang Li just return to Yanjing? Staying in the nunnery for eight years, everyone thought that her belly is empty, who could have guessed that she would suddenly win? Could you foresee it?"

Meng You De was blocked, he truly was incapable to foresee such a consequence. Precisely because of this, when he found out that his daughter set up a bet with Jiang Li, he merely reprimanded her lightly with a few sentences of being impulsive and nothing else. That was because Meng You De was confident that Jiang Li would definitely lose.

As a result, reality ruthlessly gave him a slap on the face. Recalling the way his colleagues looked at him with ridicule during court today, Meng You De felt very irritable.

Mother Meng opened her mouth once again: "When I think about it, there's something wrong with this matter. Is it possible that Jiang Li used any trick? Jiang Yuan Bai's position in court is extremely important, perhaps he bribed the examiner this time? Otherwise, how could my Jin-er lose to her?"

"That's right." Meng Hong Jin said while sniffling: "I've been studying with the sisters in Ming Yi Hall for five to six years. Jiang Li has just arrived in less than ten days. Is it possible for her to be studying in a place similar to Ming Yi Hall while she was in the nunnery which enabled her to advance her learning?"

Listening to both his wife and daughter saying the same thing, Meng You De immediately pondered about it. In the dark, nowadays he relied on the Right Minister and was the Right Minister's person. Jiang Yuan Bai and the Right Minister never mixed together, so he could be considered the Jiang family's enemy. Jiang Li's outstanding result in the examination was really strange. It would be wonderful if he could catch the evidence of Jiang Yuan Bai and Ming Yi Hall's examiner colluding together. What the current emperor most disliked was someone tampering with the literary officials. If he could resolutely strike Jiang Yuan Bai using this, he could be considered as doing a great service.

It was a blessing in disguise, Meng You De was unexpectedly somewhat excited. He picked his robe up and draped it on his shoulder and said: "I'm going out for a while." Then left in a hurry.

Seeing his father leave, Meng Hong Jin felt even more wronged. Mother Meng comforted her: "What are you afraid of? Aren't there still three more tests? Tomorrow the three tests begin, guqin, riding, archery. Your archery skill is excellent, even if there's a teacher in the nunnery, there shouldn't be anyone who teaches riding and archery. Then Jiang Li would certainly lose under your hand."

In Ming Yi Hall, Meng Hong Jin was one of the rare few ladies who were very interested in riding and archery. She originally had a violent nature, but it turned out to be right for the quality required for riding and archery. At that time, her one-handed riding shocked everybody in Yanjing, her shooting was also accurate and comparable to a man. In Ming Yi Hall, or perhaps in the entire Yanjing, with regards to riding and shooting, no one dared to contend with her.